First Topps Baseball Cards of 2016

Yesterday I puchased my first two packs of Series 1 Topps 



2015 National League MVP Bryce Harper is the Topps cover boy this year.




The pack is also stamped with the Topps 65th Anniversary logo.

I went to the closest Walmart on Friday, and even though Topps just released Series 1 on Wednesday, all that was left to buy were packs with 36 cards per pack...hangers packs I think they're called.



Walmart sells what are called "retail" packs of baseball cards, packs that have all the base cards for players and some inserts.



Too make sure the Hobby stores are able to survive and sell packs and boxes of cards as well, Topps sends the stores "Hobby Boxes" that are sold onky in the card stores.


Those packs include special inserts, autographed cards, and memorabilia cards that you cannot get in the retail packs at Walmart,  Target, etc.



In the first pack I opened, 3rd card from the top of the pack, was this card...and my day was made.

Miggy in the very first pack of new baseball cards...yeah baby!



Also in the first pack with Miguel Cabrera was 2014 American League MVP Mike Trout and 2014 A.L. Rookie of the Year Jose Abreau.

Topps has brought back its popular First Pitch inserts, and I was fortunate to get a Jordan Speith card.

Maybe the coolest insert of the two packs was a shinny, colorful refractor looking card of Indians catcher Yan Gomes.

Pretty neat...you can see the difference in the regular issue card and the parallel insert card.



This year marks another year of me collecting baseball cards.... Topps Baseball Cards... I'm closing in on 50 years of collecting cards.


I once proudly owned complete sets of every Topps set of baseball cards from 1968 to 1980, before selling them off because I needed the money.


I'm always excited when I see the new designs for the upcoming baseball card season, and in a couple of weeks I hope to purchase some Hobby Packs at a local card store.



If you're a collector, let me hear ftom you in the comments section below,  or on Twitter... @freehan11 ...I'd love talking baseball and baseball cards with you.


Have a great year collecting....and... PLAY BALL!